Rob Page insists that Wales have a stronger squad than at the World Cup
‘There’s strength in the depth’: Rob Page insists Wales have a stronger squad than at the World Cup as they look to move closer to qualifying for Euro 2024
- Rob Page believes Wales have a stronger side than at the World Cup
- Page’s team wants to take an important step towards Euro 2024
- Wales will play Armenia at home on Friday and Turkey away on Monday
Rob Page believes Wales now have a much stronger squad than at the World Cup as they try to take a huge step towards Euro 2024.
Wales will play against Armenia in Cardiff on Friday and against Turkey in Samsun on Monday. They took four points from their first two games, so two wins would put them in a prime position heading into the tournament in Germany.
Last winter, Wales qualified for their first World Cup since 1958, but were knocked out in the group stage after a botched match in Qatar. Gareth Bale also retired in January.
Page said: ‘We’ve got the disappointment of the World Cup out of our system. The 1-1 draw in our first game in Croatia in March felt like a win to get that equalizer so late.
“If you look at the running statistics we had against Croatia, we probably wouldn’t have come close to those from the World Cup. Many lessons have been learned from the tournament.
Rob Page believes Wales have a much stronger squad than at the World Cup
Wales boss Page stated that many lessons have been learned from the World Cup
“I’m not blaming anyone or throwing anyone under the bus. We knew there would be changes regarding the coaching staff and the players. There is power in the depth. Hopefully we can now support that with two performances, just like in March.’
Meanwhile, Page is confident Brennan Johnson will have a clear mind, despite Brentford’s £30 million offer to take him from Nottingham Forest, which the offer turned down.
Johnson’s role in the side will become increasingly important given Bale’s decision to step down, as the 22-year-old offers similar pace and attacking threat.
Page added: “The people around him are good people. Brennan is a level-headed boy, he is sensible. His focus will be on this game on Friday.’
Page is confident Brennan Johnson will be focused despite Brentford making a £30m offer